Switch to English Switch to French

The Open University  |   Study at the OU  |   About the OU  |   Research at the OU  |   Search the OU

Listen to this page  |   Accessibility

the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
  RED International Logo

RED Australia logo


RED Canada logo
RED Netherlands logo
RED New Zealand logo

Record Number: 26774


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

Thursday, 13 March 1828: 'I found that like the foolish virgins the servants had omitted to get oil for my lamp so I was obliged to be idle all the evening. But though I had a diverting book, the Tales of the Munster Festivals, yet an evening without writing hung heavy on my hand. The tales are admirable. But they have one fault, that the crisis is in more cases than one protracted after a keen interest has been excited, to explain and to resume parts of the story which should have been told before. Scenes of mere amusement are often introduced betwixt the crisis of the plot and the final catastrophe. This is impolitic. But the scenes and characters are traced by a firm, bold and true pencil and my very criticism shows that [the] catastrophe is interesting, otherwise who would care for its being interrupted?'

Century:

1800-1849

Date:

13 Mar 1828

Country:

Scotland

Time

n/a

Place:

specific address: Abbotsford

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Walter Scott

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1771

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Scotland

Country of Experience:

Scotland

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Gerald Griffin

Title:

Tales of the Munster Festivals

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

1827

Provenance

unknown


Source Information:

Record ID:

26774

Source:

Print

Author:

Walter Scott

Editor:

W. E. K. Anderson

Title:

The Journal of Sir Walter Scott

Place of Publication:

Oxford

Date of Publication:

1972

Vol:

n/a

Page:

443-444

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Walter Scott, W. E. K. Anderson (ed.), The Journal of Sir Walter Scott (Oxford, 1972), p. 443-444, http://can-red-lec.library.dal.ca/Arts/RED/record_details.php?id=26774, accessed: 28 March 2024


Additional Comments:

None

   
   
Green Turtle Web Design